Unlocking the Future of Healthcare: Insights from David Berger, MD
In the 150th episode of The Big Unlock podcast, we had the privilege of speaking with Dr. David Berger. Dr. Berger is a Digital Health Entrepreneur and Founder of AI Healthcare Insights and has been a former academic surgeon, surgical oncologist, and hospital CEO. In this episode he discusses about the transformative potential of digital health and artificial intelligence in healthcare. Dr. Berger has spent decades navigating the complexities of healthcare and pioneering transformative solutions.
Listen to the full conversation
From Operating Room to Innovation Hub
Dr. Berger’s career journey took an unexpected turn when he recognized the immense challenges patients face navigating the complex healthcare system. This realization fueled his passion for leveraging digital tools to simplify healthcare and improve accessibility. His experience implementing sophisticated digital health tools at the Houston VA and Baylor St. Luke’s Medical Center showcased the tangible impact of technology in reducing patient wait times, improving operational efficiency, and even decreasing mortality rates from sepsis. This initiative reduced sepsis mortality by nearly 50%, showcasing the life-saving potential of early intervention powered by AI.
Reflecting on these achievements, Dr. Berger emphasized the transformative power of digital tools in healthcare, particularly in leveraging AI and machine learning to improve patient outcomes and streamline care delivery.
Lessons from Entrepreneurship
Dr. Berger’s entrepreneurial journey began over a decade ago when he partnered with a Canadian startup to integrate machine learning algorithms into tools predicting readmission risks after surgery. Although the venture ultimately did not succeed, he gained invaluable lessons:
- Commitment is key: Successful startups require full-time dedication.
- Alignment matters: Stakeholder alignment, particularly at the board level, is crucial for forward momentum.
- The right idea endures: While the initial venture ended, similar solutions are emerging today, validating the idea’s potential.
The Role of AI and GenAI in Healthcare
Dr. Berger sees artificial intelligence, including generative AI, as a game-changer across multiple aspects of healthcare:
Back-office functions: Streamlining revenue cycle processes, coding, billing, and documentation.
Patient access: Enhancing scheduling and payment systems to improve the patient experience.
Care delivery facilitation: Tools like AI scribes and ambient listening technologies reduce the administrative burden on clinicians.
Clinical augmentation: AI aids in diagnostics, such as using algorithms to evaluate breast density in mammograms with 95% accuracy.
Dr. Berger highlighted generative AI tools like Ask Avo, which integrate natural language processing and EMR data to create comprehensive clinical notes, improve differential diagnoses, and optimize treatment pathways. He shared an example of an ambient listening tool (AVO) that not only assists with note-taking but also pulls relevant information from electronic medical records to generate differential diagnoses and suggest appropriate treatment pathways.
He also addressed the varying adoption rates of such technologies among different medical specialties. Surgeons, often focused on procedures, readily embraced AI tools that streamlined administrative tasks. Primary care physicians, on the other hand, initially showed more resistance due to the importance they place on the nuances of detailed note-taking.
AI as a Partner of Clinicians, Not a Replacement
Dr. Berger emphasized that AI should be viewed as a partner to clinicians, augmenting their abilities and improving efficiency and accuracy. He also highlighted the significant role of AI, augmented reality (AR), and virtual reality (VR) in medical education, enabling safer and more effective training environments. He gave the example of using AR to visualize 3D organ structures during surgery, improving precision and outcomes. These technologies promise to revolutionize both learning and practice.
“I think clinicians are going to become partners with AI.”
David H. Berger, MD, Digital Health Entrepreneur, Founder, AI Healthcare Insights
A New Chapter in Digital Health
Dr. Berger’s new focus involves advising early-stage digital health companies and investors, leveraging his unique perspective as both a clinician and healthcare operator. He believes that much of the transformative change in healthcare will come from outside the traditional healthcare system, driven by innovation and technology.
His enthusiasm for leveraging cutting-edge technologies, coupled with his firsthand experience as a clinician and administrator, positions him as a pivotal figure in healthcare’s digital transformation.
“We are at an inflection point between technology and the desperate needs within the health system. The costs have risen dramatically and people do not have adequate access and there are huge problems within our health system. We have an opportunity right now to make a difference. To move healthcare forward and to improve the healthcare system within this country, I encourage people who are thinking about careers within healthcare to think about the innovation and the digital health side, because that is really going to have a huge effect and move the needle.”
David H. Berger, MD, Digital Health Entrepreneur, Founder, AI Healthcare Insights
Final Thoughts
Dr. Berger urges those considering careers in healthcare to explore the innovation and digital health side of the field. He believes that this is where the greatest impact can be made in addressing the challenges facing the healthcare system and improving patient care.
Dr. Berger provided a compelling look at the future of healthcare, driven by the power of digital health and AI. It’s a future filled with potential, and one that promises to transform the way we deliver and receive care.
